


Darling It's Dark in the City of Lights

by AnneAnna



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Accidental Voyeurism, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bullying, Consensual Sex, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Gingerose, Explosions, Explosives, F/M, Flashbacks, HEA, HEA I promise, Having Sex in an Empty Classroom, Loss of Virginity, Lovers To Enemies, Make up Sex in ch3, Making Out, Making Out in A Park, Minor Character Death, Orgasm, Oxford, Paris - Freeform, Poison, Pregnancy, Rey and Bazine are related, Rey and Ben have feuding families, Rey and Ben have sex at 17, Rey is a Palpatine (Star Wars), Rose and Ben are related, Star-crossed, Strangers to Lovers, They are ordered to kill each other, Virgin Ben Solo, Virgin Rey (Star Wars), original child character - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-17 03:15:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28842222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnneAnna/pseuds/AnneAnna
Summary: Strangers to Lovers, Lovers to Enemies. Ten years ago Rey and Ben fell in love as teenagers only to have their feuding families tear them apart.  Now they must kill each other or so we think.Based off a prompt from the Reylo Readers and Writer's Moodboard Exchange.COMPLETE
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, side pairings - Relationship
Comments: 77
Kudos: 142
Collections: Reylo Readers & Writers - The Marvellous Moodboard Event





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [anopendoor](https://archiveofourown.org/users/anopendoor/gifts), [myTBRisgrowing](https://archiveofourown.org/users/myTBRisgrowing/gifts).



> To Ana who made this beautiful Moodboard, you are so talented in a multitude of ways.
> 
> To Amanda who is such an encouragement to writers in the fandom and who went over this fic with her eagle eyes.
> 
> Both of you make my fandom days brighter. 
> 
> This is very different from my usual fluff although it's impossible for me not to have a little bit mixed in with all of the angst and tension.

_"The wide world is all about you: you can **fence** yourselves in, but you cannot forever **fence** it out."_ \- **J.R.R. Tolkien**

Rey knew all about fences. Fences were all that she had to protect herself against the wealthy yet cruel world of her grandfather. For long ago she’d learned the only way to save her soul was to fence in her heart.

Rey was the granddaughter of Sheev Palpatine and though she was not born with a silver spoon in her mouth, she certainly held one in her hand now. Her clothes were bought from the highest houses of fashion, and she drove an Aston Martin. Rey shopped in Vienna, skied on the Alps, dined in Italy and viewed theatre in the West End. She also ran the charitable aspect of her grandfather’s company in order to create pleasant press and deflect questions about his ethical practices. It was a busy but empty life. 

Rey’s silver spoon was sharp and jagged, often leaving her with a bitter taste as she sipped the spoils of a wealthy life. She wore a pretty shell but was a haunted soul underneath.

This life stripped her of choices, for Rey was completely and utterly fenced in. Rey had little control of her clothes, her schedule, her lovers and her enemies. And tonight in front of a large audience, she must face the one who has been both her lover and her enemy, who had kissed her skin with tenderness but left a painful bruising. The past must die.

For tonight she was commanded to murder the past, and Ben Solo would be no more. Alderaan Industries and Exegol Corporation had been rivals in business for over a century. Leia Organa of Alderaan claimed that the days of her grandfather’s ethical crisis were over and that the company had turned a new leaf. But as Rey had learned in her short life, money brought power, and people would die for power. Both companies had a reputation for losing employees who wouldn’t tote the line. Rey’s disgruntled friend Thanison turned up dead in Rio, Jessika Pava of Alderaan had been found on a beach in Odessa for telling the press that Ben Solo had a mistress. That death, of course, doubled speculation that Ben Solo was single no more. 

Rey caressed the white powder pills in her palm, the ones that she was meant to slip into her high school lover's drink, and then placed them in her little silver clutch. Her grandfather was tired of the heir of Alderaan’s success in business, stealing Exegol’s clients from under his nose. Ben was charismatic, powerful, and had a ruthlessness in the boardroom that made his personal assistant Dameron invest in tissue stock. He must be removed, or it would be the ruin of Exegol. 

Only Rey knew what tonight would cost. Once upon a time, during a hot Parisian summer, Rey had lost her heart to Ben. She knew the taste of his kisses, the power of his thrusts, and the way his eyes could peer inside your soul in just a single glance. 

Rey walked over to the window that overlooked downtown Paris, and she saw him approaching the hotel. He was chiseled, full of muscle, a contrast to his lanky high school days where his face had been too much for his body. Men moved and women gawked as he strode down the street with an intensity that was frightening.

Dameron trailed him as always, smiling to apologize for Ben’s disturbance. Ben cared little if he inconvenienced others with his stride. He had been so different once upon a time.

Bazine, Rey’s second cousin, snuck her arms around Rey’s waist from behind, heavy like an anchor dragging her down to the depths. It was meant to remind Rey that she was tasked with killing Ben. He was not meant to distract her. 

Bazine was cold, frigid as the North Sea. She and Rey had been friends by necessity for thirteen years now, and Rey often admired her cool composure. Rey had to hide her trembling fingers as Bazine slipped a diamond necklace around her neck.

“The camera and microphone are hidden here; Grandfather wants to witness Solo choke and sputter tonight.” Bazine’s lips were turned upward. She had her own reasons for disliking the Alderaan heir, specifically how he’d created a social maelstrom in high school.

“They say he has a lover, but a man like that cannot believe in commitment,” Bazine’s breath on Rey’s neck reminded her that she could not and would not react to her words. No doubt Bazine was aware of the darts she threw. 

Rey pretended to smile as her collar was secured and she felt its weight around her neck. If she was to die tonight at least she would look elegant. Elegance could cover a multitude of sins. Unfortunately, it did not ease one’s conscience.

“Are you ready to go downstairs, darling?” Bazine purred. 

“Is Grandfather stationed across the hall?” Rey asked, already knowing the answer for this. Tonight was a test, and of course her grandfather would be present. 

Bazine raised her eyebrows, as if to say, “Why would you even ask?”

Rey looked at herself in the mirror, dressed to kill tonight under the pretense of making business negotiations. Her Versace dress would tempt the renowned playboy, that was evident. But would it cover up her trembling heart? Rey didn’t think so. She grasped the clutch with its pretty poison and swallowed, “Yes, I’m ready.”

Murder would be the name of the game tonight. She must not think of the past but the future.

  
  


_Ten years previously_

Once upon a time, Rey Smith's life had centered around a modest flat in Reading, England next door to an Indian takeaway with amazing Tandoori chicken. Her life was simple, yet it was her own. Her mum was a waitress at the Jamie Oliver restaurant on the canal; she made enough tips for them to go to the cinema once a month and keep Rey clothed in New Look fashions. Rey’s friends were typical teenagers who talked about snogging boys and One Direction. Rey stressed about exam level’s, her mother’s smoking habit and whether her crush James Mclaren might snog her.

In the summer that Rey turned fourteen, everything changed. The smoking habit had turned into cancer, and Rey’s mother was deathly ill. Rey watched the cancer take her swiftly with no warning. A social worker was called, and Rey worried that she might have to leave her friends. She was right to worry because her life would never ever be the same.

Rey’s mother had hid a rather important secret from her daughter: she was really a French heiress by the name of Naomi Palpatine. And Rey’s grandfather was most displeased that his own child had fled the country. Rey’s father had been a bodyguard and had helped Naomie escape. He gave his life so that Rey and her mother would live.

Rey soon found out exactly what type of life her mother left. It was glamorous, full of caviar, designer dresses, vacations to the Alps, and a ritzy private high school in Paris. But Sheeve Palpatine was a monster and determined to make his granddaughter the same. His business ethics were questionable, and he had deep ties with the organized crime. He gave no love to the motherless girl, only shame. He scolded her without ceasing, for the way she walked, the way she talked and her choice of friends.

On the first day at the international high school Rey had made the grievous mistake of chatting politely to Rose Tico Skywalker. The two had bonded over their love of Zain Malak’s music and Robin McKinely’s novels. Rey was so happy to make a friend. That is, until a friend of the Palpatine family, Phasma, pulled Rey aside into the chemistry classroom. She roughly shoved her against the wall, Bazine there as a witness.

“Rose is a Skywalker, and she is never, ever to be your friend!” Phasma’s spit coated Rey’s face, and her arm ached as the girl pressed down.

Rey tried to fight the blond bitch off, but Bazine shook her head and hissed. Phasma only tightened her grip.

Bazine laid the game out perfectly. “Listen little cousin: you like who we like, you smile at who we smile at, you mock who we mock, and you hate who we hate. You are just like the rest of us, a player in the game.” 

“I will not follow your stupid rules,” Rey snarled back in protest.

Bazine came up to Rey and cupped her face, feigning gentleness. ‘Do you realize who our grandfather is? Do you even have a clue? If you so much as talk to Rose Tico Skywalker again, I will get her ass expelled. Grandfather has Headmaster Canady in his pocket. So please Rey, if you would like to ruin Rose’s high school career, go ahead; be friends with her, make nice. But, ” and Bazine gripped Rey’s face with a fierceness that made her cry, “she will pay the price and never see the dust of these hallways again. Do I make myself clear, little girl?” 

“Crystal,” Rey huffed as she inwardly mourned her previous life. She had lost not only her mother but had been placed in iron chains that weighed heavily. Still, Rey chose to avoid Rose like the plague. For the next three years, Rey played the game on the outside while she constructed carefully-built walls around her heart.

Rey was accepted by Bazine and Phasma’s crowd, as she had the right clothes and family. That was all that mattered; no one particularly cared if she had a soul. Loneliness plagued her along with a desperation to escape.

Inwardly, she wondered what the Sky walker-Dameron clique was like. But Rose and her boyfriend Poe were a world away from Rey, with their organic food and frequent environmental protests. Jannah and Finn were also part of their crowd, and the foursome ruled their own corner of the private school.

Rey never thought their corners would intertwine, but fate had other plans.

The summer Rey turned seventeen, she had exactly six and a half hours during the week that were not spoken for. Every Tuesday and Thursday, Rey would finish her tennis lesson, leaving her three hours and fifteen minutes after her shower at the club until she was expected to show up at dinner well-dressed, ready to pass the foie gras. The club was a ten minute metro ride from their vast Parisian apartment. 

Rey was not sure how this hiccup happened, as her schedule was usually utterly spoken for with lessons, social events and anything that kept her chained to her socialite life. Everyone seemed to think she was still at the club, so Rey let them.

These six and a half hours were precious to Rey, a breath of fresh air, freedom. She ate chocolate crepes in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, gazed at impressionist art in the Louvre, and climbed the steps in Montemartre. The overlook halfway became her favorite spot. On Tuesdays Rey would explore Paris; on Thursdays, she would sit in the shadow of the Basilica and pretend that the world was her oyster, as she gazed on the streets below.

And that is how she met him. 

One day, Rey was flipping through her favorite book, _The Hero and The Crown,_ when someone stepped into her light.

It was a lanky boy, with big ears, raven hair and a face that could be described as arresting. 

In his hands, he carried a weather-beaten copy of _The Blue Sword,_ the prequel to the book in Rey’s hands. He gestured to Rey’s book and then at his own, and he gave her a crooked smile.

Rey had never really noticed lips on someone before. She had unfortunately been stuck with Armitage Hux’s lips the previous week during a rather terrible game of Seven Minutes in Heaven. Armitage never got past second base; no one did. For if Rey couldn’t control anything else, at least she could keep her virginity. 

But this boy, these lips: his lips were divine. Rey had the sneaking suspicion that if she was stuck in a closet with him, he would get a lot further than second base.

He was obviously American, as his jeans were way too loose with a belt that didn’t do them justice, and his hair was completely messy and unstyled. His t-shirt had a quote from Dead Poets Society: "Sucking the marrow out of life doesn't mean choking on the bone." 

“Bonjour, j'aimerai vous rencontrer.” He stuck his long fingers out towards Rey with the intention of shaking her hand.

Rey took his fingers, reflecting on their strength, and smiled saying, “I’d like to meet you too.”

The boy looked startled at her English words but broke out into a grin, “Thank God you speak English! My French is rather terrible. I'm Ben, and well, you’re really hot.” He blushed to the tips of his ears.

Rey blushed at his forwardness, but said, “I’m Rey. Everybody in Paris speaks English; they like to pretend they don’t and then laugh at your pauvre attempts in French.” Rey boldly patted the seat on the bench next to her. This boy was charming as well as handsome, and there was something about his dark eyes scanning her face and figure that made her feel seen.

Ben asked with no social graces, “So about McKinely, do you think she is a fan of Tolkien? Her female characters are so similar to Eowyn.”

With that one question, Rey Palpatine knew she had finally found someone who spoke her language. Her carefully built up fences suddenly had a door.

Ben had recently gone to school in New York in Manhattan’s Upper East Side. It was an all boys school with an excellent reputation but had left Ben a seventeen year old monk. This was a fact he seemed eager to change with Rey. He was spending his senior year in Paris attending his cousin's school and was eager to get to know Rey in every possible way.

By the fourth week of summer Rey and Ben had moved off the bench onto a blanket in a quiet corner of the hill. It was Paris; no one cared if two horny teenagers made out. It was more acceptable to grope in public than to ask for California wine in a restaurant. 

Ben’s hands, Rey discovered, were very talented. They would gently slip down the straps of Rey’s Chanel sundresses that dominated her summer wardrobe. They could arouse places in Rey that she didn’t know existed. Ben would press his lips to her collarbone and breasts, gently nipping while muttering sweet endearments and caressing her hips with his hands. His tender touch on her nipples under or over her bra would send her into utter oblivion. 

She loved to kiss him everywhere, and found that the tip of his manhood was not an exception. Surely they were breaking voyeurism laws when he covered her head with a blanket, and she used her tongue to caress his cock. The skin was supple yet hard, and he gripped her with passion as she made him come. 

Ben was generous and never left her wanting. His fingers entered the centre of her, willing to go as deep as she needed. He found just the right nerve endings to give her wild, unforgettable orgasms. She was left clenching and moaning in utter ecstasy. Ben loved to watch her as she came.

Rey swore that someone, sometime, would notice them. No one who cared did. Skin to skin and heart to heart, Ben and Rey were connected. Ben wanted more of her time, more of her. Rey hated telling him how regulated her life was, but he seemed to understand, telling her “I’m yours, for whenever and however you’ll have me. I - I love you.” He gulped at her face as he said this, as if bracing for her rejection.

Rey finally felt truly happy, for the first time in three years. Ben was the light in the darkest storm of her life.

“You make me so happy Ben. I never, ever want to lose this, and I - I love you too,” Rey confessed, lighting Ben’s face ablaze.

A week later, Rey returned to school for her senior year. The only redeeming quality was that Ben’s number was in her pocket, and they were planning to meet again.

Then Rey’s world came to a crashing halt. Upon entering her upper level calculus class, she saw Ben seated right next to Rose Tico Skywalker and Poe Dameron. Ben, it turned out, was Rose’s cousin and the heir to the very company that her grandfather despised. The door in her fences that had cracked open was now slammed shut.

_Present Day_

The chandelier sparkled and patrons conversed, but Rey thought only of these memories of her past as she glided down the elegant stairs in the hotel lobby. Ben’s hardened gaze met hers across the room, taking in her appearance with both pleasure and loathing. Lust and hate would go hand in hand tonight.

Rey Palpatine clutched her purse, thinking of the poison inside. Paris might be the City of Lights, but it held only darkness if you were a Palpatine. There would be no love tonight in the hotel, only murder. The question was: Could and would Rey complete her task? By the end of the evening, Benjamin Organa Solo must be a ghost.

  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have very little experience writing smut so hopefully it comes across well!

Tall and powerfully-built, Ben Solo made quite the impression in the elegant hotel lobby. His Gucci suit fit him like a glove, and its ostentatious look made the task at hand easier. This evening, it was his job to play the cruel, heartless playboy. He’d been wearing that mask for years now, his interactions with others dripping with this fable. But tonight there could be no failings; everything was at risk.

Ben spotted Rey as she descended the marble staircase. Her beauty punched him in the gut; he could barely breathe as she moved in her dress. She was cool and calculating yet never ruthless like her grandfather, and under all those false layers there remained light. She was a candle in the dark that he’d been ordered to snuff out. 

Luke Skywalker, Ben’s uncle, was quite convinced that Rey was pure evil. “She’ll try to kill you, Ben; she’s just like her grandfather,” Luke warned. “Blood can never be trusted.” Quite ironic as Luke’s father was Anakin, a man known for his cruelty.

Yesterday, Luke had handed him a vial with Rey’s death sentence. “Take this, and pour it in her drink. It will be completely untraceable and send Palpatine a message. The Skywalkers should not be trifled with.” 

Ben fingered the vial in his pocket. So small but so powerful. He glanced at his Seiko watch, which was armed with a video camera where Luke could spy on him. Luke had arrived at the hotel himself late last night.

The watch reminded Ben of the bracelet inmates wore when they were allowed to go under house arrest. A ball and chain in or out of jail. Uncle Luke had never trusted him, citing, “You have too much of your father in you.” 

Regardless of Ben’s feelings on the matter, tonight a legacy would be established and sacrifices made. The past had to die for the future to unfold.

And Ben knew exactly what he had to do. He faced the music as he walked towards the enemy of his family.

Rey and her companion, that ruthless Bazine, projected matching airs of cool detachment.

“Ben, Poe,” Rey greeted them in her haughty manner. Ben felt the chill immediately.

“Rey, Bazine, always a pleasure,” Ben lied through gritted teeth. He and Bazine had never cared for each other.

“Well, it’s lovely to see you beautiful ladies,” Poe Dameron stated, ever the diplomat. “Shall we sit down and draw this arrangement? Let’s make it fair, if we can.”

“As if anything you offer would be fair, Dameron,” Bazine hissed. 

“Baz,” Rey warned her cousin, then added while gesturing to the dining room, “Why don’t we sit down and have some drinks.” 

Ben shook his head at Rey’s effort, then answered with his famous sarcasm, “Of course, how lovely; we’ll drink and be polite while we pretend to work this out.” 

Rey gave him a withering stare brimming with hatred, “I’m sorry I forgot. Ben Solo doesn’t do polite, does he?”

God, Ben loved her when her nostrils flared, a fiery vixen. But he controlled his face and glared back, “Only to people who matter.” 

Dameron cleared his throat and shot Ben an imploring look as if to say “behave.”

Ben groaned and caved in “I suppose if it would keep up happy pretenses, we could manage to sit for half an hour over drinks.” Poe smiled gratefully at this meager attempt at decorum.

“Let’s get going then, shall we?” Poe said with relief. 

“If we must,” Bazine muttered.

Rey said nothing, clearly intent on keeping her cool composure. Ben looked at her and wished he could unravel her.

The four of them descended to a corner table of the elegant dining room. So much wasted wealth, Ben thought. He hated it, all of it. For despite the many years Ben had lived as part of the Skywalker legacy, he never felt at home with the wealth or the demands. 

*****

Ben’s early days with his mechanic father had been bliss. Han Solo didn’t have much; they ate a lot of mac and cheese and canned ravioli, but life was far more simple in rural Indiana. Ben rode bikes, read Goosebumps and was a star little league player.

Ben’s mother was out of the picture, running her family’s company at the New York branch and grooming his older sister Jaina to be a successor. Ben was a mistake after his parents had already had a messy divorce, and he was ignored until tragedy struck. Jaina developed leukemia, just as Ben’s grandmother Padme had, and her life was swiftly taken away.

Suddenly, Ben was important and necessary to the family. Paige and Rose had been adopted in a public relations stunt to soften Luke’s image but were mostly raised by his staff. They could not run the company according to Anakin, because they were not real blood relatives. So Ben was drafted to uphold the family legacy. 

Maybe Han Solo did die of a heart attack, but Ben really doubted it. He knew how ruthless his uncle and grandfather could be. They would never kill anyone themselves, but they had men at their will who would easily do it for them.

After Han’s death, Ben was taken out of working-class Indiana and sent to posh Manhattan. Ben hated living with his mother in New York City; she was always busy with the American branch of the company and had little time for him. Ben liked his European cousins and begged his mother to let him go to school with Rose. He wouldn’t be so lonely. He had no idea what that move would bring. 

*****

Ben glanced at Rey, who was tapping her fingers on the table. It was a habit of nervousness that Ben knew well.

Bazine must have had the same realization for she pinched Rey under the table. Ben could see Rey’s slight wince. He wondered if Rey was just as nervous as he was. 

The waiter came and took their drink order. Ben wasn’t surprised that Rey wanted her favorite drink, a chocolate martini, nor that Baz glared at her as she sipped her own signature wine. 

“So bourgeois with your cocktail, Rey,” Baz sneered.

And Rey surprised Ben by snapping at Baz, saying, “Just let me live a little.” 

Ben was satisfied with Rey’s response to Baz and sneered. “You really can’t stand it, Baz, can you? When Rey doesn’t listen to every word you say?” It delighted him to see Rey’s little rebellion. 

He felt a decided kick to his shin under the table. 

“So,” Dameron began, desperate for this meeting to go peacefully. “I have emailed everyone the paperwork; how does Exegol feel about the terms?”

“We emailed you our thoughts already! Are you not competent enough to read them?” Baz hissed, and Rey gave her a look.

Rey then addressed Ben and Poe, not meeting Ben’s eyes. “We have looked the terms over, and I’m sorry but we cannot and will not agree to such an agreement. We have outlined in great detail a compromise that will work for us.”

Ben snorted at the thought of Exegol compromising anything. “Exegol, compromise, really? Either you accept what we sent, or there’s no deal. We can toe the line just as hard as you. And we all know you need us.” A tinge of threat entered his tone, for Ben knew that without this deal, Exegol would be hurting. He needed to push this fact hard. 

“Still harboring resentment for the past, are we? I imagine that you are allowing that to interfere with your business practices,” Baz snapped. “You can’t stand that Rey never lov-”

“Shut up, Baz,” Rey surprised Ben by saying. Rey finally looked at him, meeting his eyes, “The past is in the past. Let’s move forward and try not to let our personal feelings get in the way. We are all adults. Surely we can work this out.”

Ben responded with a snort, “Sweetheart, I’m not harbouring anything from our past. If you think that you,” Ben gestured to Rey, “have any influence on this decision, I assure you that you are quite mistaken. My business policy is not influenced by some silly ill-advised high school crush.” The words were cruel, but they must be said.

Rey’s face whitened, and she gripped her cocktail glass tightly, “I wasn’t suggesting that you did, only it’s quite clear that you are still angry with me, so -”

“I’m not angry with you because you were a bitch in high school.“ Ben snarled even as he felt her pain. “I’m angry with you because your business practices are utterly corrupt.” 

“Would you two get your shit together and stop!” the usual docile Dameron roared. “Do you or do you not accept our contract?”

“Over our dead bodies,” Bazine snapped. “You better figure out something better.”

“We know that you can find something, and trust us to make it worth your while,” Rey added cooly.

“Trust?” Ben queried, “Don’t you remember? I told you I’d never trust you again for anything. “I meant it then,” Ben spat, “and I mean it now.” The firmness in his voice was simply menacing.

_ Ten years earlier _

“That is the girl you’ve been meeting Ben: Rey Palpatine? Do you have any idea who that is?” Rose hissed.

Ben Solo sat in his calculus classroom, a complete and utter mess. Of all the people in the entire world that he could fall in love with, it would of course have to be the granddaughter of his family’s arch enemy.

Rey kept glancing at him and he knew, he knew that she was in complete and utter turmoil too. The girl beside her pinched her arm and sent him a withering glare. Then she whispered to Rey, no doubt something scathing. Rey looked as if she could cry, and Ben wanted nothing more than to run to her and dry her tears.

“Stop staring. We don’t need their attention. You don’t understand, Ben,” Rose dropped her voice. “That group is exactly why I agree to be Poe’s girlfriend; they would have a heyday if they ever discovered who he really liked.”

And Ben knew. Despite the fact it was 2011, Poe Dameron and Finn Kanata could not come out at their prestigious high school. There were too many couples who had tried before and ended up with terrible consequences. So Rose covered for Poe and Jannah for Finn. The Skywalkers, Kanatas, Damerons and Calrissians stuck together. 

Rose herself had a crush on Armitage Hux who was definitely forbidden. She knew all about denying her heart.

Ben ran his fingers through his hair. He and Rey would have to talk, that was for sure. He hadn’t spent his summer falling in love, only to be split up by a European version of Mean Girls and end up silently pining away as Rose did with Hux. 

Rey was also in Ben’s chemistry class. Thankfully, Bazine was not, although a blond girl with short hair kept glancing at him suspiciously. Hux kept trying to chat to Rey, and Ben had never been so happy when the teacher finally called him down. Rey had mentioned that her family had a preferred suitor for her and he guessed it was the redhead. He was sure that also didn't endear Rey to Rose. Ben himself already loathed Hux for being invited into pop Rey’s orbit by her friends and family. 

As class was dismissing, Ben met Rey’s glance and gestured to the storage room beside the classroom. The teacher walked out of the classroom for some unknown reason. Rey looked around and nodded. The classroom emptied, and Ben went to the storage room. Thankfully, the door was unlocked.

As soon they were inside, Rey immediately threw her arms around Ben. “They can’t take you away from me; they just can’t.” 

Ben eagerly wrapped his arms around Rey in relief. She still wanted him despite their family backgrounds.

“We’ll make this work, I promise,” Ben said, stroking her back.

“You don’t understand, Ben,” Rey said, as tears clung to her eyelashes. “My cousin suspects something, and I will be heavily watched. I won’t be able to meet up, and we certainly won’t be able to hang out at school, or - or they will do something to you.”

Ben scoffed, “Let them; let them, Rey. I want to be with you, nothing will stop us.”

Rey shook her head, “You don’t know the lengths they will go to - they are horrible, this isn’t some teenage movie where everything ends prettily. They will do anything, and I mean anything, to keep us apart. We can’t be together.”

Ben looked at Rey in pain, surprised by her lack of faith. “Is this some excuse?”

Rey looked horrified, “No, absolutely not. I said I loved you, and I mean it.” Rey’s voice rose as she spoke.

“Then why would you even suggest that we not be together?” Ben demanded. Her suggestion still stung.

Rey placed her hand on his face. “I want to be with you - but you have to promise me, Ben, promise me that no matter what they do to us, you’ll always know I love you.”

Ben looked at this beautiful girl who had easily captured his heart. “And know, Rey, that I will always love you.”

***

The chemistry storage closet quickly became their thing, as they both had study hall fourth period. It was the perfect place to talk, as well as make out.

The teacher actually taught at the lower school in the afternoon, so the classroom was always empty. It was the only time the two of them could be together. 

“Bazine told my grandfather that I was talking to you at school, and now he’s checking my phone,” Rey moaned. “I can’t even text you. He told me if I so much as looked at you, I would be sent to boarding school in Switzerland, and then we would never see each other. I hate my life; I wish I wasn’t a Palpatine.”

“Someday I’ll take you away from all of this, I promise Rey. I promise you that we’ll give your grandfather and this whole family rivalry the finger.” Ben said and he meant it.

Rey stared at Ben and said shyly, “There is one thing I can give you, and no one, and I mean no one can stop me. My Photography Club was canceled for tomorrow after school, and Ben,“ Rey took his hands, “I want to give you everything.” Ben sucked in his breath, for there was nothing he desired more.

Ben nodded emphatically, as he knew exactly what Rey was saying. “You know I want to give you everything too.”

  
  


**************

Ben skipped his last class to ready the storage room. He had blankets, candles and a bottle of champagne. 

He was a romantic at heart, and this was the moment he had been wishing for since he first encountered Rey and her loveliness. He desperately wanted to have her wholly be his.

Rey entered in her school uniform and glanced at the picturesque setting he’d made.

She sat down beside him and whispered breathlessly, “Ben, please I want you to undo me.”

Ben took her hand in his, “This may hurt, sweetheart, but I’ll be gentle. I promise.” 

Rey slowly started to unbutton her top, and Ben looked in eagerness as he shed his jacket and tie. 

“I’ll unbutton yours if you do mine,” Ben offered, eager to touch.

“Alright,” Rey reached over and carefully started unbuttoning Ben’s school shirt, as he reached over to hers. They met each other's eyes and smiled. It was awkward, but they were in this together. Ben was soon in just his undershirt, which he quickly pulled off. 

Rey ran her hands over his chest, which stirred Ben up in all kinds of ways. 

Ben slid Rey’s blouse off her shoulders, and was more than pleased to see her black brassiere underneath.

“Is this for me?” Ben said, tracing his finger over the lace trim while brushing her skin. Rey shivered at his slight touch. 

Rey nodded, and said quietly, “You can take it off.”

As Ben unclasped Rey’s bra and released it fully, he was in heaven. He’d felt her breasts over the summer but this, this was different. His fingertips tentatively touched her hardened nipples, and she shuddered. He rolled them, and she moaned. 

“Please, Ben,” Rey tugged at his pants. 

Ben stood up and shed his pants. Rey’s eyes flickered to his manhood, and he grinned. 

Rey removed her nylons and started to take off her plaid skirt, when Ben shook his head. ”Leave it; it's hot.”

“Seriously?” Rey laughed.

“Seriously, because then I can do this,” Ben said. He gently pushed her down into the blankets and stuck his head under her skirt. Then he nipped at her underwear with his teeth, pulling them off to her knees before using his hand to take them off completely. 

Ben then rolled Rey over until she was straddling him. “Rey, first I’m gonna make you come so hard, and then, I’ll be inside you.” 

Rey’s answer was a kiss, and then Ben slid two of his fingers into her folds. He gently started working her nerves, and he could feel every clench as well as her wetness.

It made him hard to think he could do that to her.

Rey’s fingers went straight for his cock, but he blocked her. 

“Help me put this on.” Ben said as he grabbed the condom he’d brought. Rey helped him slide it on, and then he said, “I don't want to come yet; just let me take care of you.” He slid a third finger in. Rey gasped and gripped his shoulders tightly. 

“I think I'm ready,” Rey said impatiently.

Ben flipped her back to the blankets, and she laughed as he entered her. She winced slightly, causing Ben to pause.

“Should I stop?” Ben asked. As much as he wanted Rey, he didn't want to hurt her. 

“I'm fine, please,” Rey begged, and Ben slid in more. He started to increase the pressure. It felt so good to be so close. This was everything.

“Ben...you feel so big, so deep,” Rey moaned. And finally, Ben felt her shudder at the same time he released. Their bodies synched together during their lovemaking. Ben had never felt so complete.

***********

Ben entered school the next day and felt every eye on him. He didn’t understand it, he was usually half invisible. Students snickered, and he heard the comment, “Stupid, stupid American.”

Rose came rushing up to him and tugged on his elbow, dragging him to the side.

“What the hell, Rose?” Ben demanded, completely confused.

Rose looked beyond angry; her nostrils flared, and her mouth was pinched. Her hands were shaking as she pulled out her phone, “I told you Ben, I told you to stay away from her. I just knew it; I knew something like this would happen.” 

Ben felt his stomach plunge before he even took the phone from Rose. A blog post was up, “Seducing the Enemy in Ten Easy Steps,” by Rey Palpatine. Ben went cold, so cold. He couldn’t believe it. Rey wrote about him, how they met, how she decided to lay her trap as he was such a stupid, oblivious boy. How she pretended to care about what he cared about, how he trusted her, his insecurities, his father’s death. She had even pretended to be a virgin for him. Everything - everything was laid bare. By the end of the post, it was clear that Rey thought of it all as one hell of a big joke.

Ben had been heartbroken before. His mother had disappointed him over and over again with her false promises. But there was something so raw about this betrayal. He had trusted Rey; he had loved her, and she had lied. He was just a tool for her rich bitch amusement. Pain and anger intermingled, and he slammed his fist into the wall. 

“Ben!” Rose cried. “This isn’t you, this is them, this is what they do. You didn’t do anything wrong, she did, and I hate her for it.” Rose told him vehemently. 

“I hate her too!” Ben swore. “With everything in my being, I hate her!” But despite his aching sorrow, deep down Ben knew that Rey held his very heartbeat in her fingers. He had given his heart to the devil herself. 

“Don’t worry Ben,” Rose said. “You never have to talk to that bitch again.”

*****

Rey did try to talk to Ben. With teary eyes, she approached him after class. “I didn’t write it Ben, I swear. It’s them, I promise you, I didn’t do it. I love you, I do. This is them, they are doing this.” Her pleas were continuous.

Ben was consumed by anger and really didn’t want to hear her excuses. How could he ever believe her again? This was probably another stupid trick.

“Nah,” Ben shook his head. “It’s over Rey, because even if you are telling the truth, why the hell should I get mixed up with the likes of you?”

Rey looked so crushed and heartbroken that Ben almost, almost relented, but his pride was wounded. Everyone knew everything about him now; Rey had broken so many promises.

Ben looked Rey straight in the eye, “I learned my lesson well, Palpatine.” Rey flinched at the use of her last name. “I will never make the mistake of trusting you again.”

_ Present Day _

“So, we seem to be at a standstill then,” Dameron said. “Perhaps Bazine, we should let Ben and Rey have a minute to talk this out. Clearly there seems to be some tension between them that might be preventing us from going forward.”

“I really don’t think that’s necessary,” Bazine hissed, clearly displeased.

“I’m not going to eat her alive, you know,” Ben snarled. 

“Just give us a minute, Baz. I’ll be fine. Go take a smoke break,” Rey smiled tightly.

Bazine exited the table with a huff, looking between the two of them with narrowed eyes. 

Poe then headed towards the kitchen.

Ben cleared his throat, “So-”

Rey's fingers trembled, but she nodded, “So, this is awkward. I suppose this is when you tell me how evil my grandfather is.”

“I only ever speak the truth, Rey,” Ben said quietly.

Poe reentered the room and nodded to Ben.

Rey reached down and unfastened the clasp of her necklace. She took it and placed it in her cocktail.

Ben took his designer watch and plopped it into his merlot. 

The wait staff very swiftly removed the guests from the dining room and lobby, causing a stir.

Ben’s phone buzzed, and he said to Rey after glancing at it, “Hux, Rose and Finn have emptied every room except the two that matter, and they won't be able to get out. Are you ready?”

“I’m ready,” Rey said to him, shaking. “It’s time to do what we promised each other so long ago. I just hope...I really hope this works.”

“It will, Rey, I promise,” Ben said, reassuring her. 

The two stood up, hands linked, crossing the lobby and exiting through the main door. Only two guests remained in the hotel. 

And then in the darkened Paris night, the floor containing Sheev Palpatine and Luke Skywalker burst into a million pieces, illuminating the sky with its contagious flames. 

Ben and Rey looked at the sight together still holding hands. Rey whispered, “We finally did it, Ben; we finally gave life the finger.” 

Ben held his wife close, knowing that they had started a fire that would cleanse their future of true darkness. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter we will go backwards and then forwards!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for upping the chapter count. It just happened.
> 
> Thank you Amanda as always for your amazing beta skills.
> 
> Thank you Ana for helping me with the spice level of the smut.
> 
> Thank you JunkyardJedi for inspiring key elements of the smut scene by writing Daisy Chainsaw and her clothes ripping skills in
> 
> [Fireball, Bojangles and Hot Derby Nights ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28554765)  
> 

Ben pressed Rey into the wall of a nearby building, and his lips claimed hers with the full power of his desire. “We are finally free, Mrs. Solo,” he breathed as he broke the kiss for a moment. His hands eagerly slid down to the back of her designer dress and caressed the soft skin where her zipper dipped down low.

The noises of the outside crowd and sirens faded away as he kissed her.

He nuzzled his nose in her neck, “God I love you.” 

Rey moaned and her mind struggled against the passion, trying to remain focused on their escape. “I love you too, but Ben, we have to go.” 

“I just want to take you right here, sweetheart. It’s been so long,” Ben said eagerly and kissed his wife again. Rey could feel the heat radiating off of him as his body was pressed against hers. 

“Ahem!’ A voice interrupted them with a stern tone. “You have the rest of your lives; we need to go. Poe has only bought us so much time,” Rose said, clinging to Hux’s hand. Hux had two large backpacks, and he threw one to Rey.

Rey grabbed it, gently pushing Ben off, “She’s right; we don’t have much time. We need to run to Gare Du Nord; the metro will already be flooded with the police.”

Ben took a deep breath and started removing his jacket. 

“Poe said he could give us half an hour before they hit the train station. Just change quickly,” Rose instructed.

Ben and Rey ducked into an alleyway and hastily changed their clothes to casual wear. 

“Hurry!” Rose ordered.

Then as Ben and Rey slipped on their tennis shoes, all four of them followed an already planned route to the station. They slipped the prepaid, untraceable tickets past the gate and ran as fast as they could towards the platforms. 

Hux and Rose were headed to Moscow, Rey and Ben to North Africa via Spain. Then the world was their oyster. 

Rose and Ben hugged goodbye, as did Hux and Rey. Then the couples switched. “Take care of him, promise!” Rose pleaded with Rey. 

“Always,” Rey assured her. They all knew that it would be a long time before they would be reunited, but it was the part of the price tag for finally gaining true freedom.

********************

_Ten years ago_

Rey and Bazine had a terrible fight after the incident of the blog post. Bazine and Phasma were fully responsible for every lie.

Rey screamed in her cousin’s pampered face, “I hate you; you took away the one thing that actually mattered to me.” Rey had never been so angry or so broken.

Bazine tossed her curls and just laughed, “I did what needed to be done, Rey. You needed reigning in. Did you really think we wouldn’t find out about Solo? We’ve known for weeks, we just needed the perfect opportunity.”

Rey’s face reddened, and she practically spat at her cousin, “So because our families are rivals, I can’t love him? What is this, a French Romeo and Juliet?”

Baz just laughed more, “No, little girl, this is business. We are not simply rivals; we are enemies, and you cannot think that Grandfather would approve of this ill-fated romance. I don’t make the rules, but I know how to follow them. You had better learn, too,” Baz threatened.

“And are you happy with those rules, Baz? I certainly am not; these rules are fences, hedging us in from life and love,” Rey protested, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“We should have fences, Rey. We are special and unique. Our life comes with privilege, power and wealth. If we want to keep those things, we must learn how to make compromises,” Bazine lectured.

“What if I don’t want those things? What if I would rather have love than riches?” Rey choked.

“Then you’re foolish and don’t deserve to run this company,” Bazine said, rolling her eyes. “Just be grateful that Grandfather isn’t sending you to Switzerland. I convinced him it would be far more punishment for you to continue to attend school with Ben hating you. You’ll never rebel again.”

*****

Bazine was right. For Rey, every moment at school with Ben was like looking through a glass window that could never be opened. He was on the other side with his friends, laughing, talking and never throwing a single glance her way.

Rey’s heart was fragile, and the ache for Ben was deep and cruel. He had been a candle in her darkened world that had been forever snuffed out.

The only saving grace was that Ben didn’t date anyone else. Many girls asked the rich heir out but he remained aloof. Rey was glad, for to see him with anyone else would completely destroy her.

****

Rey was pushed to attend Oxford, and so she went. Armitage Hux was also attending, which was very telling about her family’s intentions. Rey learned that Armitage had his own demons, as his father was cruel and disapproving. There was no romance between them, just a wearied acceptance of a shared captivity. 

They would hang out from time to time just to keep their families happy, and one October evening they stumbled together into The Eagle and the Child. It was the former gathering place of the Inklings, the literary circle that included Tolkien and Lewis, and a very popular pub.

Rey ordered a pear cider, while Hux bought an Ale, and they shared a rabbit pie with a side of mushy peas.

Then as Rey took a sip of her cider, her heart stilled. In the corner sat Finn, Poe, Rose and Ben. Rey knew that Finn and Poe attended Oxford, but it was such a massive university that she had never ran into either of them. As far as Rey knew, Ben was at Cambridge and Rose at Durham. She never expected to see any of them for a long, long time.

Hux must have realized that Rey was staring at something, for he turned and immediately sucked in his breath.”Bullocks!” he muttered.

Rey was puzzled at Hux’s out of character swearing. She noticed his face looked pained as he glanced at Rose, and a thought occurred to her. 

“Do you like Rose?” Rey asked him. Hux had just taken a drink of his Magnus, and he choked and sputtered at her question.

Rey raised her eyebrows. “I’ll take that as a yes. Why didn’t you ever say anything?”

Hux didn’t even bother denying it and sighed, “My family would have killed me, Rey, absolutely killed me. Look at what Bazine and Phasma did to you and Ben with that blog post.”

“You knew?” Rey said, startled. She and Hux had never discussed anything about her relationship with Ben.

Hux hung his head, “I am ashamed to say I did. I should have said something, and I am sorry. I could have made it easier and maybe even said something to Ben, but I was so terrified that someone would realize I liked Rose. I just wanted to protect my own skin. My father would be furious if he found out I liked her.”

“I just wish things could be different,” Rey sighed, as Ben laughed at something Finn said. She would give anything to be with him again.

“Do you still love him?” Hux asked softly.

“Always. Do you still care for her?” Rey returned the question. 

“Stupidly and tragically, yes. My father would be so disappointed,” Hux sighed. 

Rey raised her glass to Hux’s and said, “Well, here’s to us two tragic fools in love.”

Hux picked up his glass and clinked it with Rey’s, “May our future be better than our past.”

Jannah Calrissian turned from the bar behind them and chewed her lip, completely unsure of what to do with the information she had just overheard. 

*****

Ben Solo sat in the corner, sipping his cider as Poe imitated a professor. He glanced over to the bar and noticed _her,_ and his heart stopped. 

After the blog post incident, through the rest of their senior year, Ben would sometimes find himself staring at Rey. He would watch her with her friends and wonder if maybe he had jumped to the wrong conclusion. She seemed trapped in a bastion of misery with no semblance of a victor triumphant. 

Ben desperately wanted to approach Rey, because he knew he had blown it. Somehow he needed to make things right and uncover the real truth of the situation. But the blogpost had wreaked havoc in his family. His uncle was less than thrilled and ordered Ben never to speak to Rey again. 

“This is typical Palpatine behavior, and you were duped. Duped! You will be wiser in the future, or I can make life far more difficult, not just for you but for your cousins,” Luke hissed. He knew that Ben would do anything to protect Rose and Paige.

So Ben kept his distance from Rey, believing that they would never be together again. 

***

Now, in a pub in Oxford, Ben watched as Rey toasted glasses with Hux. He wondered if they were in love. Had Hux captured her heart? The very thought of Hux having her consumed him with jealousy.

Rose obviously noticed something had captured Ben’s attention, and then her gaze found Hux and Rey. “Of course, why am I not surprised? The happy power couple. They’ll probably rule Exegol together,” there was bitterness in Rose’s tone, both for herself as well as Ben.

“Actually they are just friends,” Jannah said, setting down her glass and sliding in. Jannah wore a thoughtful expression. “I just overhead a very interesting conversation, one that left me thinking maybe I don’t really know either one of them half as well as I thought.” 

“Why? What could you possibly have found out that was so revolutionary?” Rose snorted but watched Jannah keenly.

Jannah looked at her best friend straight in the eye, ‘Well, let’s start with the fact that Hux is apparently in love with you.”

Rose Tico, for once in her life, was completely speechless. 

“And Ben,” Jannah continued, “I am fairly certain that you were entirely duped by Baz and Phasma with that blog post, and that Rey is still pretty much hung up on you.” Ben Solo sat there, his heart racing, and he looked across the room at Rey. His feelings were all over the place.

Rey noticed him staring, and her cheeks blushed. She said something to Hux, whose eyes flickered to Rose.

“I am so confused right now,” Rose muttered as she glanced at Hux. 

Poe, never one to be a coward in these types of situations, stood up.

“What the hell are you doing?” Rose hissed.

“You saved my social life in high school, Rose. It’s time to save yours,” Poe smirked. “We all knew you liked him anyway.”

“Rey, Hux! Come join us!” Poe called out an invitation.

Ben could barely breath as he viewed Rey. She and Hux said something to each other and then stood up. They picked up their drinks and headed over to the corner booth. Ben felt his heart collapse.

“Sit down, sit down,” Poe commanded. “So let’s cut to the chase. Jannah just overheard your conversation, and it’s very clear that you and you,” he pointed to Ben and Rey, “are still in love with each other;and that you two,” Poe pointed to Rose and Hux, “like each other as well.”

Ben practically spit out his drink at Poe’s boldness and noticed that Rose was staring straight at the ground. He simply could not look at Rey. .

“So kindly sort your feelings out tonight, and spare us the agony of any drama. On another note, it’s time to make a new legacy for Exegol and Alderaan. Let’s kill the corruption once and for all.”

There was an awkward silence between them all while everyone stared at Poe intently. 

Armitage spoke first, surprisingly, “I would do anything to be free of my father. I’m in.” 

“Then sit and join us,” Poe smiled.

Armitage looked at Rose and sat beside her. Her face flushed, but she didn’t protest. Ben’s eyes went towards Rey, and she quietly slid in beside him.

Poe continued explaining his thoughts;he had a strategy of how they could start to collect evidence. Ben could barely listen, he was so keyed up at Rey being so near once again.

He looked at her lovely profile in the low lighting of the pub as she listened quietly to Poe; her dark lashes against her creamy skin were simply perfection. He ached for her with every fiber in his being, and he decided that, to hell with it, he would give this one last shot. She was worth every humiliation in the world to him. He plucked a pen from his pocket and scribbled down a plea on the back of a coaster, a plea that echoed his soul.

Dear Rey, 

I'm sorry. I let others tear us apart and reacted cruelly to you when I should have fought for you. I broke my promise to you, and I’m sure you hate me. But the truth is this: 

_“I would rather share one lifetime with you than face all the ages of this world alone.”_

Like Arwen, I would give up legacy just so that I could exist for you and you alone. Please allow me, despite my foolishness, the chance to prove I mean this.

Love always, Ben 

She had been watching him curiously as he wrote, and he pushed the coaster over to her. Her eyes flickered over the words for what seemed an eternity, and he held his breath. 

She picked up his pen that was sitting on the table and flipped the coaster over to write her own message. She passed it back to him. 

Dearest Ben,

Then, as you promised

“ _Let us together rebuild this world that we may share in the days of peace.”_

I don’t want to live a lifetime haunted by our families and the past. I want to live a lifetime creating a new world with you.

Love, Rey

Ben reached under the table and held out his hand. To his immense and utter relief, she took it.

  
  


************

Ben walked Rey home back to her posh off-campus flat. Their hands were entwined, but neither said a word. There was an air of fragility surrounding this unexpected turn. Neither one wanted to see this come crashing down. The past year had been so lonely.

Rey silently pulled Ben up the stairs, and he followed her into her place.

“I’m sorry Rey, I should have believed you-” Ben started, but Rey seized his face, and their lips crashed against each other. There was a savageness to the kiss, as if they were laying claim to each other. It left them breathless and full of animalistic desire, their fingers and lips ready to mark each other, practically bruising with their kisses.

Ben swiftly hoisted Rey up over his shoulder like a caveman of old and carried her to the room that looked like it was her bedroom. He sat her on the bed and stripped his clothes off, exposing the powerful tone of his broad chest. His boxers remained on. He stared at Rey with desire darkening his eyes. 

Rey stripped off her clothes with equal vigor and was left in only a matching bralette and panties. She surprised Ben with her strength as she tore his briefs off, revealing his swollen cock, aching for relief.

Rey pulled him roughly down so that his frame covered hers. She wanted him to take her, possess her, own every crevice of her body. “I want you now and forever,” Rey said, then lifted her mouth to kiss him. She bit his lip just a little, claiming him for herself.

Ben stared down at her with unbridled lust, as his eyes roamed from her perfect tits to her lovely navel and down her long legs. “I'm yours, and you are mine. They will never tear us apart again,” Ben practically growled and pressed her hands down with his, caging her in. He looked ready to devour her in every way. As he straddled her, his mouth returned to hers, capturing her lips aggressively. He began to move his mouth down her neck, alternately nipping then caressing. He worked his way down to her breasts, nuzzling his nose in between them. Then he ripped her flimsy bra in two with his teeth, and his eyes grew darker as hers dilated at the same time. He teased her hardened nipples with his tongue, causing her to shudder and moan. 

His mouth claimed her stomach, leaving love bites everywhere. The lower Ben’s mouth trailed, the wetter Rey became. She was throbbing with desire.

His hands still held hers in place on the bed. He moved her underwear down with his teeth and tore the scrap of lace off her skin. He bent down and kissed her thighs, edging towards her center. She squirmed and rubbed her legs together. Her hands were clinging to his as she held her breath. 

When he dipped his mouth to kiss her over her covered nub, Rey shuddered and then pushed him back aggressively. Now Rey was straddling Ben, and her eyes stared down at him. 

“Enough teasing. I want you inside now,” Rey ordered. Ben grinned as Rey manoeuvred over his cock and began to ride him to heaven. She was fast, and he egged her on, lifting her up and down with his strong arms. Rey clenched him tightly, relishing the drag of him against her walls, his size causing him to hit a secret spot deep inside. His roughness only added to her pleasure. His mouth sought hers again, and his lips enveloped her mouth as her hips enveloped his thrusts. They were panting and moaning as skin kissed skin. They held onto each other's hands with every thrust, passion increasing the intensity of their grip. 

Then, as Ben was about to release, he flipped her over onto her back. They climaxed together, staring into each other's eyes and still holding hands tightly. 

“This is just the beginning Rey, I promise!” Ben said, as they lay beside each other, satisfied and exhausted. 

“We can never let them separate us again,” Rey replied.

“We won't!” Ben promised and leaned down to capture her lips again. 

******

_Present Day_

  
  


Rey and Ben settled into their plush seats on the train to Barcelona. It would be a long ride, but it was far easier to go on a train undetected than face the airport. The train car was practically empty. Neither Ben nor Rey felt like talking; being together was enough. Rey rested her head on Ben’s shoulder as the train pulled out of the station. He placed his arm around her shoulder and caressed it. 

About ten miles outside Paris, the train suddenly ground to a halt. 

Rey sat up alert, and she and Ben both reached for their revolvers.

Two figures came through the door, Bazine and Vicrul, one of Grandfather’s guards. They each held a gun in their hands, pointed at Ben and Rey. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My dear Ana is such a Bazine stan that I had to give Baz a part in this other than the annoying evil love interest. So this chapter is for everyone who secretly has a soft spot for good ole Baz who didn't ever even meet Ben Solo in canon. 
> 
> Shout out to duelinggalaxies who made us all fall for a Dopheld/Bazine paring in the first place!
> 
> I hope you all have enjoyed this fic.

_Present_

Rey and Ben clutched their weapons, ready to fire as they were confronted by Vicrul and Bazine.

Vicrul took aim, gun held tightly in his hand. As he saw Vicrul’s finger twitch on the trigger, Ben was thankful for the time he spent learning marksmanship with his father. Ben didn’t hesitate. He shot first; Vicrul crumbled to the ground.

Bazine obviously didn’t expect this development, and she wobbled a little before saying, “You won’t win, you know. It doesn’t matter. We will always find you wherever you go. You are a Palpatine, and it’s in your blood.”

“No!’ Rey said, even as she pointed her pistol at her cousin. “It may be in my blood, but I want the freedom my mother sought so long ago. I don’t want the fancy cars, the lifestyle, the rules, or the games. I just want Ben and the freedom to choose to live my life the way I want. I’m tired of this, Bazine.” 

“So what, are you and he -” Bazine gestured towards Ben, “going to kill me like you did to Grandfather? You are a murderer now and have played the game well. Don’t fool yourselves and think you are innocent; both of you have your own sins.” The condemnation was evident in her tone. 

Rey felt the truth of Bazine’s words ring clear, and she lowered her gun. Bazine was right: Rey and Ben had played the game. Maybe it wasn’t for wealth and status, but it _was_ meant for personal gain. Maybe she wasn’t so different after all; her family’s sins had left their mark. Rey looked at Bazine and suddenly felt the pain of empathy. She wasn’t the only victim in this mess. Bazine had lived locked in a gilded cage too.

Rey said softly, “We are disappearing. Exegol is completely yours, Bazine. You will never see me again. I won’t ever touch the wealth and the power. I don’t want to bear that cross. I have become too much of what I hate already.” 

Bazine still held the gun pointed at Rey, but her fingers trembled. “If I ever see your face again, Rey, I will kill you. I swear.” 

“Permission granted,” Rey said softly. “And Bazine, I hope you get a happy ending. I’m sorry that I didn’t realize you are a victim, too.Grandfather was always cruel to you and never let you be yourself. You’ve only ever known this cruelty. I want you to be free as well. I want you to know that you are more than just a Palpatine.”

“Get the hell off this train now! I don’t need sympathy from the likes of you,” Bazine glared at Rey, snarling. 

Rey and Ben grabbed their stuff and fled the train car. Before they left, Rey turned around and said softly to Bazine, “Remember the only fences you have in your life are the ones you put up - only you hold your future in your hands. Make it worth it.” 

Bazine blinked but said nothing, floored at Rey’s words.

Ben and Rey exited the train as swiftly as possible. They would avoid the rails now and find a different route. They had multiple passport identities in the backpack as well as different currencies. This was a plan ten years in the making, it would not fail; a little life depended on it. For Rey was pregnant, the catalyst for finally setting everything in motion after preparing for so long.

****

Ben and Rey found a truck driver leaving Paris who would give them a lift to Geneva for enough euros. He was more interested in their money than their identities and spoke no English.

Ben asked his wife gently, “Why, Rey? Why didn’t you kill her? I know she is your cousin, but it could have been dangerous. She could have killed you, killed me, killed him.” Ben caressed his wife’s stomach.

Rey looked at her loving husband and took his hand, “I know, and I’m sorry. But what if all Bazine needed was just a moment to be seen. That’s all anyone wants, to be given the opportunity not to be judged, and to be encouraged to be themselves. Besides, she spoke some truth in the mix of it all.”

“And what is that sweetheart?” Ben asked.

“We are monsters, too. We killed tonight, Ben, and are no more deserving than her,” Rey admitted. “Maybe my grandfather and your uncle had it coming but still, in a way we fulfilled our families’ legacies.”

Ben took Rey into his arms and pressed a kiss to her forehead, “You are right, but we are leaving it all. If we are lucky, we will make a new legacy.”

_Rio de Janerio, Brazil, 10 years in the Future_

Bazine Netal brushed the sticky sand off of her bronzed skin. Doph had meticulously rubbed the lotion in, and now she was a sandy mess. They were in Brazil on a business trip, but Bazine had convinced her husband that they needed a few extra days to enjoy the sand. They didn’t get enough time as a family with their busy schedules.

“Mommy, can I come with you? I'm thirsty,” Little Sophie, five, asked. 

Bazine nodded and took her daughter’s hand in hers. They wandered over to the outside bar where drinks were being sold.

“I want a lemonade, Mommy, please!” Sophie pleaded, so Bazine ordered one for her and a caipirinha for herself. Doph would want a beer, of course. 

And then, as if a phantom had appeared, Bazine saw _her_ leaving the line of a food truck; _he_ was with her too. The ghosts of the past had finally reappeared.

******

It had been ten years since that fateful train ride where Vicrul died, and Ben and Rey escaped. Afterwards, there had been many arrests within Exegol Industries, including Brendol Hux’s. He was jailed for embezzlement as well as implicated in the murder of several former employees. The fallout was tremendous. 

Miraculously, Bazine’s name was completely clean, as if Rey had wanted to leave her cousin entirely out of the investigation. Bazine was shocked by this small grace, for she could admit that there was blood on her hands.

Poe Dameron turned out to be an agent for Interpol and was working closely with the Paris police. He had apparently been tipped off about the bomb and had saved all of the guests except for Skywalker and Palpatine. Of course, foul play was suspected, but there was absolutely no suggestion of Dameron’s involvement. 

It was a plot designed by Rey Palpatine, Ben Organa Solo, Rose Tico and Armitage Hux, all who had mysteriously disappeared. 

The tabloids brought up the high school romance of Ben and Rey, star-crossed lovers, and the original blog was reposted. A marriage certificate was located; apparently the two had eloped in the Canary Islands five years previously under the cover of a business conference. All the rumours of Ben having a lover were, in fact, moments that he and Rey had taken together. Armitage Hux and Rose Tico had a similar certificate from Thailand. The press had an absolute field day with headlines about star-crossed lovers. 

No one, not Interpol, not the FBI, not Paige Tico, nor Bazine herself could find them. It was as if they had never existed. After a few years, everyone just gave up, although all four remained on a Most Wanted list. 

Paige was now in charge of the rather broken Alderaan Industries and took her role seriously. Suddenly the business was far more ethical, and its mob ties were cut completely. Leia Organa retired, overwhelmed with the death of her brother and the disappearance of her son. She wasn’t overly fond of Paige’s changes either. 

Bazine was forced to clean up Exegol under the meticulous eyes of the French government. Quiet accountant Dopheld Mitaka helped her to rebuild, and Exegol’s ledgers had never been so honest. 

And Bazine remembered that she, and she alone, was in charge of her fences. So when the middle-class Dopheld, who was not in her social circle, asked her out, she said yes to her family’s horror and objections. But Bazine was in charge now and was determined to heed Rey’s advice. She built something together with Dopheld, something she never even knew she wanted. He loved her for her, and that brought far more joy than she thought possible. Little Sophie was just the icing on the cake. 

******

Rey was munching on a pastel when she saw her, a whisper of the past. Bazine was holding the hand of a little girl, whose age must have been the same age as their Jaina. Jaina was currently on Ben’s back, one arm around his neck and the other eating a hamburger.

Han, age nine, was walking next to Rey, munching on his pastel, too. Rey surprised him by grabbing his free hand, her protective instinct kicking in. Ben immediately flinched, noting that something was up. They had lived life on the edge for so long that it was their instinct to react. 

*******

At first, life on the run was full of seedy hotel rooms and hitchhiking across Europe and eventually into Asia. Han had been born in a Red Cross health clinic in Tibet, not exactly the best conditions. After a year on the run, they finally landed in South America and had built a life living off of offshore funds. 

But it was the first time they were ever able to wake up together every morning. The first time their love-making was not rushed for fear of being caught. Kisses were not stolen in the night but given in the day. They could hold hands as they walked along the beach, and they loved their little family. Ben got a job teaching English and German to wean themselves off of the offshore money. They made their middle-class apartment a true home with nick nacks, used furniture and the smells of South American cooking. It was the happiest either had ever been.

****

Rey now wondered if it all was about to expire, if she would lose this precious life. 

For through the crowd, Bazine looked straight at her, at Ben, at her children. Her gaze was curious, and she tilted her head in acknowledgment, obviously weighing her next steps carefully. She could have them arrested, their children raised by family or strangers. Life would be completely upturned if Bazine wished it. Bazine could even kill them all.

Rey tightened her grip on Han’s hand. Ben, still supporting Jaina, had his hand on the revolver he always kept with him, just in case. He had seen Bazine, too, and would fight if required. Both Ben and Rey would do anything to protect their family.

****

Dopheld Mitaka came up to Bazine and asked, “What are you looking at so intently?” 

Bazine gazed at the ghosts of her past one more time, then turned to her husband and placed her hand in his. “I’m just hungry, and I want to try that food truck.” 

“Well then, let’s get some,“ he replied, none the wiser.

**** 

Rey and Ben looked at each other and slowly turned around with their children in tow. As they walked away, Rey kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.

But it never did.

As the four of them left the area, Rey turned around one more time for a glance. 

She watched Bazine laugh with her child and husband as they ate their food. Rey had never seen a smile so big on her cousin’s face before. The knowledge that Bazine was letting them go washed over her gently. 

Bazine then met her eyes once more and nodded, with no malice or hatred in her gaze. Rey knew that all of the fences were finally torn down.


End file.
